Target



Sept. 9, 1947A. vR. J. LOHYRv 2,427,010

' mummy l -led oct. 2'7, 194s s sheets-sheet 2 /NVEN Toe R. J. LQHR Sept. 9,1947'.

TARGET Filed 0G12. 27, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 9,1947

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 11 Claims.

l The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in targets designed to furnish aerial gunners with ground target practice in shooting at rapidly moving objects, and has for an object the provisic-n of a ground target system for simulating the rapid movement of a target on a gunnery range, such as an airplane, by the employment of a series of individually movable target members mounted on xed supports at substantially equally spaced points between two spaced locations on the range and progressively moving each target, one after the other, from one of the locations to .the other location.

Another object is the provision of a single operating means common to a plurality of target devices, each movably mounted at iixed progressive points on a gunnery range on a line extending between spaced locations and cooperating means between the target devices and the operating means for moving the target members one at a time in a progressive order.

A further object is the provision of a single operating cable means for progressively moving the target members mounted at xed points along a line extending between two locations on a gunnery range in which a minimum amount of linear movement of the cable means progressively actuates all of the target members.

A stil] further object is the provision of a target device for simulating a target rapidly moving between spaced locations on a gunnery range by utilizing a series of individually movable target devices disposed at uniformly spaced fixed points, relatively close together, between the two spaced locations and a relatively slow moving linear actuator means having a plurality of spaced abutments thereon, one for each target and engageable with its target to move the same, said abutments being spaced a slightly greater distance apart than the spacing of the targets, whereby a relatively short linear movement of the actuator progressively actuates all of the target members.

A still further object is the provision of a movable target device disposed on a stationary support for use on a gunnery range in which a target member is normally disposed in an inoperative position, out of the line of fire, when the device is in use on a range, and a remote controlled actuating means for the moving of the target member tov an operative iiring position and immediate relea-se of the target member to permit the target member to return to its normal inoperative position.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts.

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a gunnery range disclosing my improved target apparatus as installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of my improved target devices and a portion of the target actuating means or cable, the target member being disclosed in normal inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that disclosed in Fig. 2, illustrating the target member in operative position.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modied form of actuating means for the target members.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral i indicates a gun position located on a gunnery range and 2 the rampart for the gun. Extending across the range between spaced locations 3 and il and 5 andii are a plurality of substantially equally spaced target devices indicated generally at l and l' respectively, each comprising a iixed or stationary support 8 on which is movably mounted a target member 9.

The target members 9 are preferably formed of some suitable flat or sheet-like material and are normally positioned on their supports in inoperative or horizontal positions, as seen in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings.

A single operating means for actuating the target devices 'i between the locations 3 and 4 to move them to their operative position as shown in Fig. 3 is provided in the form of a cable member i0 extending between the spaced locations 3 and and are trained over pulleys l2 at the locations 3 and 4, and thence over pulleys i3 and around a winch I4 actuated in any suitable manner, either manually by a crank or by a speed controlled motor device I5.

The target devices 1 operatively associated with the actuating cable Il), extend in an imaginary line across the line of nre of the gun I between the two locations 3 and d and are spaced comparatively close together. Assuming that the distance between the locations 3 and 4 is about 450 yards, the target devices would be placed approximately 50 yards apart. To simulate a target movf ing at -miles an hour, the targets between 3 and d should all rise into operative position and fall in approximately eight seconds, since the distance between the rst and last target would be about 400 yards. The mechanism for moving the targets from their inoperative positions to their operative positions is such that about one and a half seconds is required to bring each target to its vertical position, one target being always in view while the other adjacent targets are either being moved in their operative or to their inoperative positions.

The line of target devices 'l' extending between the pulley l2' at the location 6 and the winch Iii at the location 5 extends substantially directly away from the gun l, and the distance between the last and first target is approximately 409 yards with a spacing between the target devices of about 50 yards.

The target devices between the locations 5 and 6 are operated in a progressive order, one after the other, from one of said locations to the other location by a single linear actuator or cable t9 extending around the pulley I2 at the location 'i6 with the other end portion of the actuator i9 wrapped around the winch i4', power driven by a speed controlled motor i5', or manually operable by a crank. These last-mentioned target devices are operated in a manner similar to the before-mentioned target devices located between the locations 3 and '4.

VThe cables l0 and t0 'have a plurality of abutment members 44 fixed thereon for successively engaging Vthe target devices, one after the other,

to raise 'the target 'members in-a progressive order and lallow them to return to their former inoper- -ative positions by gravity. 'The target members in either mentioned series when actuated by the cable it) or the cable I9' simulate a target moving rapidly toward or away from the gun l de pending upon the positioning of the abutment members viixed on `the cable i0 or the cable I0 for progressively actuating the target members and .later to be described.

'It -is preferable 'that the `iixed supports 8 for the target members be either placed in a trench,

-a-n opening, or behind an embankment, so that thesupports and the `target members be out of the line of lire Ia's well Yas out of the possible sighting line of 'the Sgun when the target members 'are in their inoperative position in order that no parts of the devices be visible to the gunners except when thetarget members are moved to their operative positions.

'Referring now to Figures i2 and 3, the fixed supports 8 have their 'upper ends apcrtured at I8 to pivotally receive the *end .portions of a cross shaft I9 having a target arm 29 fixed thereto, carrying the target -iinemberli. The target member '9 is secured to the arm '22 by any suitable fastening means :2i and vis formed of flat or sheet material cut into any desired configuration, such las'the -outline of an airplane, tank, truck or other object.

The cross shaft i9 has a weighted arm 22 xed thereon at right angles to the "target arm 29 and depending downwardly as `seen in Figure 2 when the target is in vits Vinoperative position. Adjustable Avweights A23 'are applied to the arm 22, which Ymay be varied to change the speed of return of the target -member to its normal Vinoperative position.

The cross shaft I9 `and weighted arm 22 carry a 'segmental plate 24 to which one end of a target actuating cable 25 .is attached, the end of the cable being secured to alprojection 26, adjustably secured ina slot 21 `for-med in the plate 2li. Adjustment roi the projection '26 in the v`slot 21 changes the effective direction `of pull of the cable 25 on the weighted arm 22 and effects the amount of swinging movement which can be communicated to the target arm 29 by the cable 25.

A xed stop member on rest 29 is positioned below the target member 9 on suitable standards Sil. The stop member 29 may be provided with cushion members 3l for resiliently arresting the return movement of the target member 9 to inoperative position a-nd the intermediate portion of the rest may be recessed at 32, to receive the -target arm 26 and the cable 25 when the target is in inoperative position.

A check member or stopI cable 33 is connected between the target rest structure 29 and the 'target member 9 on target arm 29 to limit the swinging movement of the target when the same is moved to vertical position.

The individual target devices each include a Vxed platform or support 34 carried on standards 35 and of somewhat T-shaped outline.

`.A target actuating lever 35 is pivoted at one end, as indicated at '31, vto the platform Sli and has a limited arc of movement between pins 38- 39 projecting upwardly from `the platform. 3G. The lever 35 is somewhat channel shaped in cross section, having a Yseries of apertures H5* formed in the opposite edges of the channel to receive an adjustable pin '41.

The targetactuating cable 25 is attached to the pin 1li and swinging movement of vthe lever 36 toward the stopy pin 3:9 actuates the cable 25 to raise the target member 9 to its vertical or `operative position.

The free end of the lever 36 is formed with inwardly tapered opening or V-shaped slot 42 through which the linear actuating member or cable i9 extends, and a retaining pin 43 is positioned in the vedge a'n'ges of the lever 36 across the mount of the slot 42 to Ymaintain the cable i9 therein.

The cables Hi and 'i' are each provided with a plurality oi abutment members All, preferably spherical in shape, and adjustably iixed on the cable, one abutment member being provided for each target device l, and pulleys i5 on the platform 35 support the cables I9 or I9 in operative `position with respect to the lever 3S.

As previously set forth, the target devices are positioned along lines between the spaced locations with a substantially equal spacing arrangement between 'the target devices. The abutment members M on the cables 19 and I0' are also uniformly spaced, but the spacing between the Aabutment 'members'is diierent Vfrom the spacing between target devices Yand preferably greater.

It shouldY beV observed that when the target 9 is in inoperative position with the wall of lever -z'i against the stop pin 38, the walls of the slot `or tapered opening incline rearwardly or in the direction of movement of the cable i0 and the abutments M upon contact with these walls are cammed toward the pivot of the lever and the narrower portion of the slot.

After the lever has been shifted to move the target member to its vertical or operative position vand the lever 3B Vis moved against the stop 39 the walls of the `lever surrounding the opening or notch 42 incline inthe opposite direction producing an outward camming action on the abutment M moving the same toward the wider por- -tion of the tapered opening until it reaches a width sufficient to pass the abutment. The abutment thenescapes through the wider portion of the opening' freeing' the lever `36 and the Weight 23 immediately returns the target 9 to inoperative' position, as seen in Figure 2.

The' abutment members 44' are so placed on the actuating cables l and l0 that they will progressively engage levers of the target devices. In other words, the abutment member for the first target device to be operated is placed closest to the lever 36 for the target device, the next target device to be actuated has its abutment on the cable I0 placed a little farther away from its actuating lever 3B, and so forth. The cables Ill or. l0'. are only moved a relatively short distance in order to progressively actuate all of the target devices and the target devices are moved to their operative positions and released to return to their inoperative positions in a very rapid succession, depending upon the speed of linear movement of the cable I0. The actual speed of linear movement is relatively slow, compared to the simulated rate of movement of the target.

The above device provides a target which is extremely simple in construction and operation, with a minimum number of relatively slow moving parts, simulating a target moving at an extremely high rate of speed. After the target vdevices have all been actuated, the winch I4 or the winch I4' may be reversed, moving the abutment members into their original starting positions. VThe inclined faces of the levers 35 cam the abutments into the larger parts of the openings 42 in the levers so that they can readily pass therethrough in the return movement.

Referring to Figure 4, illustrating a modified form of operating mechanism for progressively moving the target members to their operative position and return, the target members 45 pivoted at 41 are each provided with an actuating arm 48 to which is connected an actuating link 49. The link 49 is connected at its opposite end to a crank pin 5U on a worm driven disk 5I having a larger disk 52 fixed thereto and formed with a notch 53 in its periphery. The disk 5l is driven by a worm on the shaft of the driving motor 54 and current is supplied to one terminal of all of the motors 54 through the common feed wire 55, while the other terminals of the motors are connected by circuit wire 55, 55', 55" to contact members progressively arranged around on insulated control member 51, the latter having a rotary contact blade 58 thereon connected to the current source by the conductor 59.

Each target device is provided with a shunt circuit controlling resilient contact blade 55 connected to one side of the current source by the conductor 6 l.

The free ends of the contact blades @il are formed to flt the notches 53 when the target members are in inoperative position, but upon initial operation of the motors 54 the contact blades are forced laterally out of the notches 53, into contact with the normally spaced contacts 62, having conductors 63 leading therefrom to the motor terminals which are connected to the conductors 56, 55', 56.

As the contact blade 58 is rotated around the ring of contact terminals on control member 5l, the motors 54 are progressively energized, one after the other to displace their contact blades 60. The displacement of the blades 65 maintains an operative or closed circuit to the motors 54 untilworm wheel 5| makes a complete revolution, moving the target to its operative position, and back to its inoperative position again. The end of each blade 60 then drops into the notch 53 breaking the circuit to the motor. The ends 6 ofthe blades act as detents for arresting rotation of the disk 5l with the target member 46 in its inoperative position- The control member 58 may be operated manually, or by power, and as the same rotates, the motors 54 of the target devices 45 are progressively energized, bringing the targets into and out of operative position one after the other in the same manner as in the preferred form of the invention, simulating a rapidly moving target.

Various types of guns may be employed such as a single machine gun, and even relative movement of the gunner can be realized by mounting the gun on a vehicle such as a jeep car and speeding it along a roadway (not shown) which may be prepared on the range.

In the sighting of guns from a rapidly moving airplane or other moving vehicle, the forward movement of the gunners plane or vehicle must also be accounted for and while devices to compensate for these corrections are known and somewhat automatic, it is proposed to provide a simple mechanism attached to the mount of the gun that will shift the rear gun sight as the gun is swung at an angle to follow the indicated line of flight of the target which will necessitate a realistic adjustment of the gun and sights by the gunner.

It is believed that this target apparatus is superior to other gunnery targets in that it is possible to provide aerial gunnery practice in firing at ranges with speed of movement of the target equal to those encountered in actual combat, without the employment of the rapidly moving targets, or other complicated control devices.

What I claim is:

l. In a target apparatus for simulatingv atarget moving rapidly across a gunnery range in the y line of fire of a gun on the range, said target apparatus comprising a series of target devices, each target device having a target member pivotally mounted thereon, and positioned at substantially equally spaced locations along a line extending between spaced terminal points at the ends of said line, s'aid target devices each comprising a stationary support to which one of the pivoted target members is connected, means connected to each target member to normally maintain the same in horizontal position out of the line of ilre of said gun, and a linearly movable cable extending between said terminal points having abutment means thereon adapted to selectively engage and move said targets momentarily to a vertical position in the line of lire from said gun in progressive sequence from one terminal point to the other upon movement of the cable toward one of said terminal points.

2. In a gunnery target apparatus for simulating a moving target, a plurality of movable targets disposed in fixed positions along a gunnery range, in a predetermined progressive sequence, and actuating means for moving said targets in said predetermined progressive sequence, said actuating means comprising a cable extending ben tween said terminal points having individual actuating abutments xed thereon in substantially uniformly spaced relation, differing from the spaced relation of the said fixed target supports, a pivoted lever associated with each target device, disposed in the path of movement of one of said abutments on the cable and an operating connection between said lever and its associated target member.

3. In a target apparatus for simulating a target moving between spaced fixedlocations, a series of spaced target devices arranged on aline extending between said locations, each target device comprising a iixed support and a substantially ilat target member pivoted on the support to move between vertical and horizontal positions and having a laterally off-set actuating arm extending downwardly when the target is in horizontal position, lever means pivotally mounted adjacent said target member, cable means between the lever means and said arm, for actuating the arm from the lever means to move the target member to vertical position upon actuation of thev lever means in one direction, and actuating cable means associated with said lever means and adapted to connect with the lever means to move the same upon movement of the cable means in one direction only and releasable from the lever means upon predetermined movement of the cable means in the aforesaid lever actuating movement.

4. In a target device of the class described a support, a target member pivotally carried on said support in a horizontal position including means for normally maintaining said target member in said horizontal position including a weighted arm extending laterally and downwardly from one side of the target member at an angle to the pivotal axis of the target member when the same is in said horizontal position, an actuating lever pivotally mounted adjacent the support to swing in an arc, and having an inwardly tapered notch at its free end, cable means connected at one end to said weighted arm of the target member and operatively connected at its other end to the pivoted lever, an operating cable passing through said notch in the lever, in the plane of swing of the lever andY at substantially right angles to the lever when moved to a point intermediate its limit of swing, an enlarged abutment member positioned on said operating cable to engage the sides of said inwardly tapered notch when the cable is moved in one direction and guide means for the cable disposed on each side of lever in spaced relation to the end of the lever when the same is at either end of its limits of arcuate movement.

5. In a target device of the class described a support, a target member pivotally carried on said support in a horizontal position including means for normally maintaining said target member in said horizontal position including a weighted arm extending laterally and downwardly from one side of the target member at an angle to the pivotal axis of the target member when the same is in said horizontal position, an actuating lever pivotally mounted adjacent the support to swing in an arc and having an inwardly tapered opening at its free end, an actuating cable passing through said opening at right angles to the pivotal axis of the lever and to a plane passing through said pivotal axis of the lever and a point intermediate the ends of the are of movement of the lever, said actuating cable having an enlarged abutment thereon adapted to pass through said tapered opening in the lever adjacent the wider portion of the openingonly and an operator con` nected at one end to said weighted arm and at its other end to said pivoted lever.`

6. In a gunnery range of the class described having a gun ring position, aV xed support spaced from said gun iiring position, a substantially ilat target member of sheet-like material pivoted on said support to move between a normal inoperative position presenting the edge only of the target member toward said gun iring position and an operative position presenting the dat surface toward said gun ring position, means for yieldably maintaining said target member in said iirst position, actuating means operatively associated with said target member for moving said target member to momentarily position its hat surface toward said gun position and releasable from said target when moved to operative position to permit said target to be returned instantly to said inoperative position by said yieldable maintaining means.

'l'. In a gunnery range of the class described having a gun ring position, a xed support spaced from said gun firing position, a substan tially flat target member of sheet-like material horizontally pivoted on said support to move between a normal inoperative horizontal position presenting the edge only of the target member toward said gun firing position and an operative vertical position presenting the fiat surface' toward the gun firing position, actuating means operatively associated with said target member for moving said target member to vertically position its nat surface toward said gun position, said actuating means comprising a target actuating lever vertically pivoted at one end adjacent said fixed target member support and connected to said target member at a point spaced from the pivot of the target member and oiset from said dat surface, and lever operating means movable in one direction for moving said lever in one direction to swing the target member to its operative vertical position and automatically releasable from said lever upon substantially swinging movement of the lever by said lever moving means in said direction.

8. In a gunnery target apparatus for simulating a target moving rapidly from one point along a line to another relatively distant point on a gunnery range, a plurality of individual similar target devices arranged in a progressive succession between said relatively distant points, each target device comprising a xed support, and a target member movable thereon between inoperative horizontal out-of-the-line-of-re position and operative vertical in-the-line-of-iire posi tion, means to normally maintain said targets in said horizontal inoperative positions, and a single operating means progressively engageable with all of said target devices for progressively moving said target members to said vertical operative positions one after the other in a progressive sequence from one of said points on the gunnery range to the other point to simulate a single target moving rapidly from one of said points to the other point.

9. In a gunnery target apparatus for simulating a single target moving uniformly and rapidly on a line between two relatively distant points on a gunnery range in the zone of fire of the gun on said range, a series of uniformly spaced supports xed on said range out of the line of re of said gun on said line between the relatively distant points, similar target members pivotally mounted on each of said supports to move between a horizontal position out of the Zone of re from said gun and a vertical position in the line of fire from said gun, means for normally maintaining each of said target members in said horizontal position and returning them to horizontal position when displaced from said horizontal position, common actuating means'for progressively engaging each of the target members one after the other from one of 'said rela-v tively distant poi-nts to the other point to move the target members from said horizontal position to a vertical position and immediately disengaging each target member when it reaches the vertical position.

10. In a target device of the class described, a support, a target horizontally pivoted thereon, means for moving said target to normally inoperative horizontal position, separate actuating means engageable with the target when in horizontal position to move the target from said horizontal inoperative position to a vertical operative position and automatically disoonnectible from the target when the same is moved to vertical position to permit the target to be returned immediately to its normal inoperative horizontal position.

11. In a gunnery range of the class described, a plurality of individually mounted similar target devices, mounted on a line between two relatively distant Vpoints at substantially equally spaced distances between the points, each target device comprising an individual target support, a target horizontally pivoted on said support to swing in a vertical plane between a horizontal inoperative position and a vertical operative position, means for normally maintaining all of said targets in the inoperative horizontal position and immediately returning said targets to said horizontal position when they have been moved to vertical position, including actuating means common to all of said targets to progressively move said targets one by one from the horizontal to the vertical positions beginning at one end of said line and terminating at the other end of said line, and permitting the targets to immediately return to horizontal inoperative position one after the other upon reaching the vertical position to simulate a single target member moving rapidly in a vertical position from one of said distant points to the other distant point.

RAYMOND J. LOHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 471,430 Porter Mar. 22, 1892 1,195,185 Corbett Aug. 22, 1916 1,640,954 Mach Aug. 30, 1927 

